Below is a statement by Chris Swonger, Distilled Spirits Council President and CEO:
“The U.S.-EU spirits sector was the model for fair and reciprocal trade, having zero-for-zero tariffs from 1997 up until the EU imposed a 25 percent retaliatory tariff on American Whiskey in 2018.
“Due to the EU’s retaliatory tariff, American Whiskey exports to the EU, the largest American Whiskey export market, plunged 20%, from $552 million to $440 million (2018-2021). During the last three years that the tariffs have been suspended, American Whiskey exports to the EU surged nearly 60%, climbing from $439 million in 2021 to $699 million in 2024.
“The U.S. spirits sector supports more than $200 billion in economic activity, 1.7 million jobs across production, distribution, hospitality and retail, and the purchase of 2.8 billion pounds of grains from American farmers. We urge President Trump to secure a spirits agreement with the EU to get us back to zero-for-zero tariffs, which benefits the hospitality industry and U.S. craft distillers who export their products. We want toasts not tariffs.”